Reason
by Dragonfly and K-chan
Summary: Shino didn't like to do things unless there was a reason behind them but when it came to her, there was no reason. ShinoSaku


A/N: Well, I have to say, I really enjoyed writing this! It's my first ShinoSaku, and even though it's an odd pairing, I now find it rather cute.X3 This fic is for Dustbunny3, because this is one of her favorite pairings, and I imagine that it's rather rare. I kept it as IC as I could, and I hope I did a good job of it. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, he belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

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Aburame Shino was not a man of many words. He disliked small talk, and he hated saying useless or pointless things. He rarely showed emotion, too. There was no reason to, so why should he? Shino, if he had to do something, at least needed a reason so that he knew that what he was doing wasn't a complete waste of time. But when it came to her, there was no reason.

It had been sudden; it had just hit him one day, while he had been with her. The sudden, unfamiliar emotion that had surged in his chest at seeing her warm, friendly smile, and the way he'd felt as if he'd been jolted with electricity when she put her hand on his shoulder. Shino wasn't one for petty denial, so he figured out right away what those signs meant. He was becoming attracted to Haruno Sakura.

Shino hadn't ever thought it possible for him, of all people, to become attracted to someone. Hell, he'd barely ever looked at a girl when he was growing up. It was always Kiba who chattered away about girls he liked, Kiba who snickered when he saw a girl in not nearly enough clothing. It was never Shino.

Even Hinata had liked someone when they were younger. Granted, she still liked that someone, but that was beside the point. It wasn't like Shino thought he'd become like them, even now that he did 'like' someone; he could never see himself blushing every time he saw Sakura, or making half-assed attempts to start a conversation with her. No, Shino was still Shino. He just had a slightly different outlook on Sakura now.

What confused him, however, was the girl he'd ended up liking. He and Sakura had never been close; they barely talked to each other. They were on civil terms, could even be considered friendly, but nothing like a real bond.

After Naruto and Sasuke had left, things had changed. Somehow, everyone had suddenly gotten busier; but strangely enough, they all spent more time together, having small get-togethers, or little gatherings. Usually they were organized by Sakura or Ino, and on some rare occasions, even Hinata. Shino had become a little less anti-social because of it, but he hardly became a chatterbox. Still, he had become more at ease around people, 'blending in', as Kiba had put it.

At these sessions was when he had first had an actual conversation with Sakura, though. It had been pleasant, if not a little quiet on Shino's end, and he'd been a little surprised by how much depth the pink-haired girl had. After that, Shino thought that no one gave her enough credit.

So it had started with respect…but how had it escalated? Why was it that he had started noticing how beautiful her eyes were when she was happy? What made him look twice when she walked passed him? Again, it was something sudden, as if someone had replaced his glasses lenses one day, but the only thing that changed with the new lenses was Sakura. After about two months, Shino had decided that he would tell Sakura how he felt.

Of course, he had no preconceptions about what reaction he would get. He knew about the girl's feelings for Sasuke, and wouldn't be surprised if she turned him down because of them. Also, she had never given any hints at a relationship exceeding friendship. No, Shino knew it was a long shot that she'd actually date him. Still, he wanted her to know.

"Good evening, Shino-kun," Sakura greeted, walking up to the spot where he'd asked her to meet him. Shino could see the curiosity in her eyes, and he knew that she didn't suspect what he would say to her at all.

"Good evening, Sakura," he said, nodding slightly.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.

"I like you," Shino said calmly. Something that he was particularly good at was staying levelheaded during all situations; this was no exception.

"Like me? What do you…?" She trailed off as comprehension dawned on her beautiful face. "Oh…you like me?"

"I do," Shino said, nodding an affirmative. Sakura blinked.

"Wow…that was unexpected, Shino-kun," she said quietly. Shino said nothing, his hands in his pockets, as he waited for something a little more definite. She looked thoughtful for a short amount of time, and then she looked at him, smiling mischievously.

"I hope you like tempura, then," she said. Shino raised an eyebrow.

"And why is that?"

"Because," she said, hands on her hips, "that is what we will be eating for dinner tomorrow, on our date." Shino was surprised, to say the least.

"A date?" He repeated. She nodded, a slight pink blush crossing her cheeks.

"Yes. Unless you don't want to," she added quickly. Shino didn't even have to think about it as he shook his head.

"No…it sounds nice. I guess I'll come by and get you at 6:00, then?" He said. Inside, he felt as if his heart was beating much faster than it was supposed to. Sakura's smile softened, and she nodded.

"Yes, that sounds perfect." Then she leaned over and kissed Shino on the cheek, and his eyes widened behind his sunglasses. He stared at her when she pulled away, a little quickly, and he could see that she was obviously nervous about what she'd just done. He smiled, one of his small, rare ones. This relaxed her, and he noted that something sparked in her eyes, something that made her look even prettier in the moonlight.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she said.

"Yes," he answered. She chuckled a little.

"Good night then, Shino-kun," she said cheerfully, turning and walking back to her home.

"Good night, Sakura," he said. As he turned and began walking back to his own house, he realized that not everything needed a reason. Sometimes, happiness was just enough.


End file.
